Christmas Traditions x Evil Elves x Catching Santa
by lightningpelt
Summary: Kurapika watches as Leorio faces his greatest foe: one elf named Earl. Killua's childhood Christmas experiences might have been anything but merry, but he's determined to lift his friend's spirits... well, until the tinsel distracts him. Fluff No pairings


**(A/N) Greetings and Meri Kurisumasu! ^^ **

**So Hunter x Hunter's one of my all-time favorites, and I needed to do something in honor of the holiday. It's early because I'm going out of town for Christmas, so all my stories have to be up before I leave. *spazzes and dies* **

**So here's two mini-oneshots, featuring all four of the main characters. The first one's more hurt/comfort/frienship and the later is more humor. **

**No pairings intended, just friendship. ^^ **

**Random factoid about this: the Leorio story was inspired by a Christmas card I drew for my half-brother. :D **

**I do not own any Hunter x Hunter characters, although I am hoping for some plushies from Santa dearest! **

_Gon and Killua in___**"Santa x Family x Traditions"**

"Sigh…"

"What?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"What? !"

"Huh?"

"… Never mind."

It was quite disturbing to see Gon so disconnected, especially to his best friend, Killua. Yet the small Hunter hadn't moved from his spot by the window for a good hour, no matter what his friend tried. He hadn't even _looked up _at the mention of Christmas cookies, and any caroling attempts fell flat (quite literally), so Killua had retired to watching his friend, hoping for some indication as to the cause of his sudden reverie. Of course this was interrupted momentarily when something glittery caught his eye, and he had fallen to playing with a strand of garland much as a kitten might. But then he grew bored, and returned to his vigil. He got his answer, all at once, when he noticed something about the people processing by outside.

"They're all families," he whispered, and then looked back to Gon.

"I miss Aunt Mito," the other finally confessed, and then rested his chin on his folded arms. "And Ging… seems really far away."

"Hey, at least you've got family worth missing!" Killua said, trying to put a positive spin on things. "Look at mine! You know what we used to do on Christmas?"

Gon turned to him, raising one eyebrow. "What?"

"Kal and Mil and I would always hunt Santa Claus, when we were little," the small assassin said with a smile. "We'd have contests. Like Mil would always set bombs in the chimney, and I'd usually hide in the Christmas tree. Kal was the most creative."

Gon raised one eyebrow. "Hunt Santa? Like assassin stuff?"

"Not 'like;' full out assassination," the other replied, laughing. "We found out later that Illumi and Dad would find some poor sap to dress up in a red suit for us." Then the laughter faded, a deep darkness swirling in his eyes. "There were always presents hidden inside him."

The little Hunter returned his gaze to the window, guessing correctly that Killua wasn't referring to inside a sack or even inside the red suit. Smiling slightly, he leaned into his friend.

"You've got us now," he pointed out, and the other gave him a light shove.

"Listen to your own words! _You've _got _us _now!" Motioning to the snowy street, he hopped down. "All that family crap's overrated. Now come on, I want some hot chocolate."

And Gon found it easier than expected to pull himself from the spectacle of happy families, following his friend.

… … …

_Leorio and Kurapika in _**"Elf x Hostility x Traditions" **

Walking to the store with Leorio, in any season, could be a hassle. There was nothing that was exempt from his bargaining; many stores knew of his ways and jacked up their prices upon his arrival, just for the purpose of attempting to retain _some _amount of their money without fighting tooth and nail.

When Kurapika was dragged along, it could be better or it could be worse. Sometimes he functioned as a chaperone, calming the medical student when he was on his "best" rolls. Others, Leorio felt the need to _show off _for his friend, and so nothing could even curb his rampages.  
>During the holiday season, a single shopping trip could lead to Armageddon. Half of Kurapika's time was spent keeping his friend away from the mall during such times, and, about seven-eighths of the time, he was successful. On the few days that he wasn't, he was often brought along, usually against his will.<p>

On one particular day, the Kurta discovered the man that Leorio considered his archenemy; his nemesis; his greatest foe. It all started with one of those doomed shopping trips, when Leorio had just gotten an impromptu 76% off sale on Christmas presents for Gon and Killua. The medical student was in a good mood on the way out, and his friend-turned-chaperone had begun to relax.  
>Until a ringing split the air.<p>

Leorio stiffened, head shooting up much like a rabbit who had been startled. This, in turn, flustered his friend, who jumped back.

"What?" Instantly on high alert as well, the blonde looked around, his hand unconsciously clenching the automatically summoned chains.

"That… _sound_…" The medical student narrowed his eyes severally, one hand tightening around his shopping bags. The other balled visibly in his pocket, presumably clutching the wallet that was concealed there. "He's… _back_."

"Who's back?" Kurapika demanded, something about his friend's voice raising the hair on the back of his neck. "Leorio, what are we dealing with?" But his question went unanswered as Leorio strode forward, seeming undeterred by the supposed danger. "Leorio!"

The automatic door slid open, and the ringing became more defined. It was then that the villain came into view.

He was a small man, elf-like in stature, but dressed in a red and white suit with a universally recognizable hat. His thin grey hair poked out from beneath it, and the few scraggly hairs on his face did nothing to suggest a full white beard. He had small, severe eyes that stared at Leorio with both recognition and blatantly hostile distain.

Kurapika stopped dead. The bell was in his hand. And, by his feet… was a donation can.

"Change for change," droned the elf, although his tone suggested something of a taunting hostility. "Help feed the poor this Christmas."

_I should have known._

Leorio remained silent, although his expression spoke volumes as his eyes flicked warily between the elf and his can. Sticking out his tongue ever so slightly- whether out of concentration or defiance it was unclear –he began to stalk by, Kurapika following more slowly. The later usually gave whatever change was in his pocket to the notorious bell-ringers, but he figured that that would result in his being faced with a) sleeping in the driveway or b) kicking his friend out by force, as they wouldn't be able to co-habitat that night, despite their separate bedrooms. So he simply dipped his head politely to the elf-man, padding after the medical student.

Suddenly, though, Leorio halted, abruptly enough so that Kurapika nearly ran into him. Turning, ever so slowly, he met the elf man's eyes. Kurapika, though determined to stay out of it, heard the crackling of electricity between the other two, the voltage of their glares somewhere near Killua's wrath if you ate the last chocolate bar. Pressing ahead, the Kurta walked mechanically forward. _Just keep walking…_

"Leorio-san," the elf's voice was curt, sparking with tension. "Merry Christmas."

And the other replied, "Merry Christmas, Earl. Regards to the kids."

And Kurapika was left to wonder, indistinctly, how they had come to be on such terms.

**(A/N) Merry Christmas! Reviews are my absolute favorite stocking stuffers, so please tell me what you thought, even if you hated it!**


End file.
